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Nicki Minaj Pays Off College Debt for Dozens of Students

By
McKinley Corbley
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Nicki Minaj isn’t just a talented hip hop artist – she’s also a fan of hardworking students.

On Saturday night, Minaj was tweeting about a contest in which the participants who recorded the most creative dancing video to her most recent musical single would be flown out to the studio to hang with the hip hop queen herself.

Jokingly, one of her fans replied with: “Well, you wanna pay my tuition?”

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To everyone’s surprise, the singer responded by tweeting back: “Show me straight A’s that I can verify w/ur school and I’ll pay it. Who wants to join THAT contest?!?!Dead serious. Shld I set it up?”

 

Screenshots of report cards flooded the singer’s inbox. Unfazed, Minaj accepted dozens of requests – from payments of a couple hundred dollars for school supplies, to thousands of dollars in student loan debt.

Anyone who had a high GPA was asked to privately message the singer their bank information.

 

After filing through the messages, Minaj closed out the night by saying she would make the payments the next day, and she would open up her inbox to more lucky students in two months.

“Ok u guys. It’s been fun. Let me make those payments tmrw then see if I have any money left. I’ll do some more in a month or 2.”

 

The next day, TMZ reportedly confirmed that Minaj made good on her offer to dozens of students.

My Anaconda Don’t Want None Unless You Click To Share, Hun (Photo by TheGlobalPanorama, CC)

A Life Coach’s Free Advice on How to Balance Happiness and Work

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Good News Network
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Understanding the importance of a good work-life balance can benefit you in many ways, but one of the most important ways (by far) is how it affects your happiness.

Retaining a strong body and mind can help you deal with almost any obstacle in your path, so when work takes a toll, your body suffers, and in consequence, the rest of your life can suffer as well. Here are a few ways to change up some of those bad habits when your work life threatens to take over.

The Body

Finding the time to prepare healthy meals or take an exercise class can be tough. Here are some things you can do to maintain a healthier lifestyle on the go:

Easy Protein: Getting enough protein is crucial for peak performance. Sources of protein include meats, eggs, dairy, and even vegetables. Hard-boil some eggs or stock up on chicken breasts—foods that take little time to prepare and can last for a few meals!

Drink Lots of Water: The occasional cup of coffee won’t kill you, but not drinking enough water can. Water helps in ways that you might not even think about. It can make you less irritable, because dehydration can adversely alter your mood. It can also help you cut down on unnecessary snacking, because your body sometimes tricks you into thinking you’re hungry, when actually you just need some old-fashioned H2O.

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Prioritize Your Body: Exercising can relieve stress, boost your ability to handle situations in both work and personal lives, and is a way to combat the day-to-day of stagnant deskwork. If your work allows, take your lunch break to go for a run or a swim. Any amount of time being active is beneficial. If you don’t have time to leave work, try standing and working, or do some bodyweight exercises like squats and pushups. Commit a few minutes here and there to be more fit.

Snacking: Eating in a hurry usually means grabbing smaller portions of food whenever it is convenient. Just because you don’t have time to cook doesn’t mean what you snack on has to be packaged, processed, and unhealthy. Foods like nuts, berries, and carrots or celery are great for those days when you’re moving from one thing to the next. It also helps to have these good eats at your disposal when your coworker brings donuts on Monday morning.

The Mind

When your mind is at ease, your perspective on life tends to follow suit. Here are some ways to unscramble all the thoughts in your head when it’s constantly racing:

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Take a Timeout: You need time to stop thinking about work, even if you’re still at work. Calling a friend, walking around your office building, or sitting in a silent break room can help you relax and give your brain a break. Optimize your home to reduce the stress you feel while you’re there. Chances are, you have enough of that at work. If cleaning is too much to keep up with, consider hiring someone to do it for you. Clutter reduction can make a huge difference on your state of mind.

Unleash Your Creative Side: Stimulating your brain in a way that you enjoy can help you release negative thoughts or feelings. It can also help you keep your good humor (as well as your sanity) in times of stress.

Be Social: Sometimes you need to talk to others to feel connected and appreciated – and you shouldn’t always have to talk about work. Plan ahead and carve out time for social activities – especially ones that help you in more ways than one. For example, take a walk in the park with some of your friends, or take your kids to the movies. You can spend time with loved ones while doing something that is beneficial and that you enjoy.

MORE: How Negative Headlines Can Impact Your Mental and Emotional Health

Working hard is one thing, but living hard is another. While you’re on the clock, focus on your tasks, but when it’s time to fold your laptop and file away your work documents, file away your work worries with them to maximize all your time.

If you need more guidance on how to keep your work-life balance, you can check out Groom and Style’s recently-published guide that features dozens of tips from over 50 top wellness experts.

Ms. Morris is a life and career coach who strives to help others achieve balance and happiness in their lives. She believes she can relate to clients who feel run over by life because of her own experiences. Ms. Morris spent years in an unfulfilling career in finance before deciding to help people in other ways.

Cut Your Friends A Break: Click To Share (Photo by Amermb)

Some Corals Have Started Adapting to Warmer Temperatures

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Good News Network
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This new study reveals evidence that some corals are adapting to warming ocean waters — offering great hope following recent reports of coral die-offs due to rising temperatures.

Researchers observed how reefs in two Kenyan marine national parks responded to extreme temperature exposure over time. They found that 11 of the 21 coral species that they studied showed less of the destructive coral bleaching than others.

Looking at two similarly severe warming events in 1998 and 2016, Wildlife Conservation Society zoologist Tim McClanahan found that the number of pale and bleached coral colonies declined from 73% to 27%, and 96% to 60%, in the two parks with different background temperatures. About half of the most common species did not bleach strongly in 2016.

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Bleaching takes place when stressed corals discharge beneficial algae that supply energy to corals causing them to turn pale or white and often starve. Worldwide, a large percentage of coral species experienced some bleaching due to unusually warm ocean water in 2016.

McClanahan said: “Despite the many caveats and interpretation of these results, this study provides one of the first response-rate estimates for many common corals at the population level. It therefore provides a basis for future studies and improving model predictions and the types of evaluations needed to address the future health of coral reefs.”

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Global awareness continues to grow about the immediate threats facing coral reef ecosystems, which is catalyzing a global commitment to address those threats. In February, at the Economist World Ocean Summit in Bali, Indonesia, the ‘50 Reefs‘ initiative was launched by the Global Change Institute of the University of Queensland and the Ocean Agency. The initiative brings together leading ocean, climate and marine scientists to develop a list of the 50 most critical coral reefs to protect, while leading conservation practitioners are working together to establish the best practices to protect these reefs.

(Source: Wildlife Conservation Society)

Click To Spread a Reef of Good News – OR, (Photo by Tim McClanahan/WCS)

Watch Man Rush to Save Drowning Office Cat Knocked into Water

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Good News Network
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What started out as a cat-a-strophic accident turned into a paw-sitively inspiring rescue.

Felix the office cat of the London’s Royal Dock Management Authority got into a tussle with another feline earlier this week, which sent him plummeting into the nearby water.

Scott, the organization’s engineering and operations manager, saw the exchange and leapt into action.

As the frightened cat tread water below the dock, Scott scooted close enough to the animal so he could grab it by the scruff of the neck and pull it to safety.

WATCH: Dog Wearing Life Jacket is Found Adrift in Vast Gulf of Mexico

After the rescue, both Scott and Felix walked away unfazed.

Though the video has since gone viral, RDMA posted an Instagram photo of Felix featuring the caption: “Here’s Felix the RoDMA office cat taking a nap after becoming a viral sensation this weekend! We’re happy to report the fame hasn’t gone to her head and she’s back to her regular scheduled program of cat naps, food breaks, and the occasional stretch.”

(WATCH the video below)

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Watch Adorable Reaction of Little Girl’s Friends to Her New Pink Prosthetic

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This 7-year-old girl has lived her whole life with only one leg – so when her friends see her sporting a brand new pink prosthetic, they can’t contain their joy.

Anu, who is a student at an elementary school in Birmingham, England, can be seen striding confidently into her playground in this clip from the BBC Midlands Today.

Her friends can be heard saying “Is that your new pink leg?” and “Wow!”

Another little girl simply wraps up Anu in a big hug before they all start playing on the tarmac.

RELATED: Watch the Tears as Community Pays For Beloved Crossing Guard’s Prosthetic Repairs

Anu’s leg was amputated soon after she was born. Her new prosthetic, supported by the West Midlands Rehabilitation Center, will allow the 7-year-old to run, dance, and play just like her friends.

The purity of welcome she received is enough to bring a grown man to tears.

(WATCH the video below)

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Selfless Giving: How to Do it and Why We Need it

By
Sarah Salow
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In this digital, socially-networked age, giving has become remarkably easy and convenient. Just click, and we’ve made a contribution we can feel good about.

There are plenty of other easy (and fun) ways to feel good about giving, too – from participating in raffles and golf tournaments to running a 5K or selling bracelets made by women in developing countries. Thanks to this, the spirit of giving and giving back has become an integral part of life here in the U.S. and in other lucky parts of the world. In fact, “giving” and “giving back” are now buzzwords we toss around regularly.

It’s uplifting that so many of us are on board to give. Yet, could the sheer simplicity of the process potentially create a chasm of oblivion between our generosity and the reasons why giving is necessary in the first place? After all, the world we live in is steeped in tragic poverty. Buying a raffle ticket might ultimately contribute to the cause, but does it move those of us who purchased it any closer to understanding the discomfort of those we seek to help?

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Understanding is an important part of actually making the world a better place. For only through understanding discomfort, by experiencing it ourselves, can we fully engage in the process of fomenting change. Fully engaging makes all the difference between truly giving and merely going through the motions.

Enter selfless giving. This conscious, intentional approach to giving allows us to do things for others and our community that not only help and make a contribution, but also force us to push the boundaries of our comfort zone – thus experiencing a twinge of discomfort ourselves.

For example, in donating clothing, many of us are likely to sort through our closets and pick from a pile of old, discarded, worn-out garments that have no meaning to us anymore. Giving these garments away requires as little thought and as little emotion as dumping them in the trash. So have we truly been intentional and engaged in the process, or was it simply a convenience to our self?

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But what if instead of those old threadbare jeans we haven’t worn since ‘08 we were to pull a brand new pair from our closet to give away? A pair we’d been looking forward to wearing next Saturday night?

That would be a little uncomfortable. And it would be a true act of giving, for we would have given something up.

The gesture would be far more meaningful than giving away things that have lost their importance. It would also imply that those in need would receive a better product – something that would theoretically last longer and provide more value.

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Stretching ourselves to lend a hand in situations that might feel awkward and unfamiliar is an exercise whose impact sticks. Doing so not only provides invaluable service to others, but also forces each of us to dig deep, look inside and evaluate what level of giving is, subjectively, truly selfless.

With so many struggles at our doorsteps and throughout the world juxtaposed by such immense privilege, engaging in selfless giving seems like one small but significant way to help bridge the gap.

Formerly a Detroit high school English and speech teacher, Sarah Salow is executive director of the nonprofit outdoor recreation and conference facility, Echo Center, based in Stockbridge, Michigan, which offers arts and crafts, rope courses, ziplines and rappelling walls, with entry fees on a sliding scale so visitors can pay what they are able.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Shimelle Laine, CC)

The Story Behind This Hospital Employee Who Was Named DarthVader at Birth

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Darthvader Williamson may sound like a made-up name – but it’s actually the name on this guy’s birth certificate.

Darthvader’s father, who was given the final vote on what to name his son, went with the Star Wars pseudonym as an homage to the movie trilogy antagonist.

Darthvader, who is a surgery technician at Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett in Memphis, Tennessee, has received hundreds of requests for photos and autographs from visitors and patients who have discovered his unusual name.

WATCH: Star Wars Composer Surprises Young Musicians on His Lawn

He says he doesn’t mind, although, ironically, he claims not to be that big of a Star Wars fan.

But the birth name is reportedly quite helpful in making his younger patients smile.

(WATCH the cute video below)

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Scientists Cure Type 1 Diabetes for a Year Without Side Effects

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By Bradley Johnson, CC license
By Bradley Johnson, CC license

A potential cure for Type 1 diabetes looms on the horizon – and the novel approach would also allow Type 2 diabetics to stop insulin shots.

The treatment totally cured diabetes in mice for an entire year without any side effects. The discovery, made at UT Health San Antonio, works by increasing the types of pancreatic cells that secrete insulin.

“It worked perfectly,” said Dr. Bruno Doiron, assistant professor of medicine at UT Health. “We cured mice for one year without any side effects. That’s never been seen.”

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Insulin, which lowers blood sugar, is only made by beta cells. In Type 1 diabetes, beta cells are destroyed by the immune system and the person has no insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, beta cells fail and insulin decreases. At the same time in Type 2, the body doesn’t use insulin efficiently.

The therapy is accomplished by a technique called gene transfer. A virus is used as a vector, or carrier, to introduce selected genes into the pancreas. These genes become incorporated and cause digestive enzymes and other cell types to make insulin.

Unlike beta cells, which the body rejects in Type 1 diabetes, the other cell populations of the pancreas co-exist with the body’s immune defenses.

Gene transfer using a viral vector has been approved nearly 50 times by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat various diseases.

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“The pancreas has many other cell types besides beta cells, and our approach is to alter these cells so that they start to secrete insulin, but only in response to glucose [sugar],” said co-inventor Ralph DeFronzo. “This is basically just like beta cells.”

The team’s treatment could be a major advance over traditional insulin therapy and some diabetes medications that drop blood sugar too low if not closely monitored.

“A major problem we have in the field of Type 1 diabetes is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar),” said Dr. Doiron. “The gene transfer we propose is remarkable because the altered cells match the characteristics of beta cells. Insulin is only released in response to glucose.”

This is a mouse model, so caution is needed. The researchers have a goal to reach human clinical trials in the next three years, but to do so they must first test the strategy in large-animal studies, which will cost an estimated $5 million. The team received a U.S. patent in January, and UT Health San Antonio is spinning out a company to begin commercialization.

(Source: UT Health San Antonio)

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Turtles Landing on Hotel Beach Are Given Their Very Own Concierge

By
McKinley Corbley
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Max Gotta

This hotel cares for all of its guests – even if they’re tiny reptiles emerging from the sea.

The Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa in the small country of Oman plays host to one of the five nesting sites for sea turtles in the nation. Every year, up to 100 different turtles return to the hotel’s beaches to lay their eggs.

Wanting to give mindful care to their oceanside acquaintances and ensure the turtles’ growth, the resort has hired a full-time turtle ranger to watch over the endangered sea-dwelling critters.

RELATED: Police Rescue Over 6,000 Turtles in Largest Wildlife Bust in the Nation

After spending two months learning absolutely everything about turtle conservation, Mohammed Al Hasani became the hotel’s resident turtle concierge. Mohammed arrives every morning to check on the progress of the nests and to protect the species from human interference. He also reportedly gives eco-tours to the hotel’s human guests so they can understand the role of the turtle’s conservation.

Mohammed loves his job, and tells of childhood memories when he first experienced reptile rescue.

“I grew up in Qantab, which is a small fishing village just along the coast from the resort,” Mohammed told Lonely Planet. “Since I was a young boy, I have been a keen fisherman. I saw many turtles in trouble caught up in fishing lines or nets, so I would help them.”

According to nest counts, the expanding turtle population has been nurtured along swimmingly, with as many as 4,100 new turtles born last year alone.

You Should Turtlely Click To Share This Story With Your Friends (Photo by Shangr- Las Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa)

Teen Invents Bra that Could Detect Breast Cancer

By
McKinley Corbley
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After almost losing his own mother to the disease, this Mexican teen has patented a bra that can detect early signs of breast cancer.

18-year-old Julian Rios Cantu is the designer of the Eva bra: a brazier with biosensors inside the lining that can moderate the temperature, texture, blood flow, and coloring of a woman’s breasts.

The user only needs to wear the Eva bra for one to two hours per week in order for the apparel to properly monitor the body’s patterns and conditions. All the data is then downloaded by Bluetooth to an app that will alert the user if there is any alarming changes.

RELATED: Student Creates First Synthetic Retina For the Visually Impaired

Julian first got the idea when – years earlier – a mammogram detected two tumors in his mother’s breasts. Though the doctor originally identified them as benign, he was wrong – the lumps were malignant. Two years later, Julian’s mother had to undergo a double mastectomy.

Julian then filed a patent for the bra and started a company to develop the bra with his friends. Though the prototype is still in the early stages of testing, Julian plans for his company Higia Technologies to start selling the undergarment as soon as December 2018.

Higia Technologies was awarded the top prize of $20,000 at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards last June.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Higia Technologies)

Denmark Welcomes First Wild Wolf Pack in 200 Years

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McKinley Corbley
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After almost two centuries of their absence, Denmark has just welcomed back its first wild wolf pack.

The country’s wolf population was essentially diminished due to hunting and human persecution. Then, in 2012, a lone male wolf was sighted in Jutland – the first to be seen since 1813.

As of this week, stool samples and CCTV footage have revealed the existence of an entire pack consisting of four males and one female.

WATCH: Therapy Wolves Become Guides for Troubled Teens

The female, fondly dubbed GW675f, is reportedly thought to have traveled 340 miles north from her home in Germany. Her presence raises hope that she will soon give birth to a litter of pups, thus bringing the nation’s population back from the annals of history.

According to the BBC, as many as 40 wolves could be traveling across Denmark – however, previous attempts to census the population have been inconclusive. But with 12,000 wolves roaming across continental Europe, it’s possible that more individuals will cross Germany’s border much like GW675f.

Researchers at the Natural History Museum Aarhus say that if they see male wolves hunting without their female counterparts, it implies that they have mated and the she-wolf will be protecting the pups in their den.

Optimistic conservationists say that the unlikely wolf pairing harbors a good chance at mating next year – all researchers have to do now is wait with baited breath.

(WATCH the video below)

Formodede ulvepar i Vestjylland 1. januar 2017 from Naturhistorisk Museum Aarhus on Vimeo.

 

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Watch Mom With Dementia React to Being Given Robotic Cat

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McKinley Corbley
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This 81-year-old with dementia has been a lifelong cat lover – so when she was given this new robotic furry friend, she was delighted.

Virginia Smith first moved into her current nursing home a few years ago when her dementia and mobility issues steadily worsened. Since the home didn’t allow pets, however, the senior had to give up her pet cat, leaving her heartbroken.

“My mom has had cats most of her adult life, [and] when we had to move her into an adult family home, she had to leave her kitty with my brother,” says Virginia’s son James Allen Smith. “For the past 2 years, she has been living without a cat and it has been very hard for her.”

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So for Virginia’s birthday earlier this week, James and his brother bought their mom a $100 robotic cat.

The robot has sensors that respond to stimulation with purrs, motions, and blinks.

It may not be the real thing, but when Virginia first held it on her lap, she was delighted.

The senior cuddles her new friend for a few minutes before decidedly naming him “Robbie”.

“It’s so wonderful to see her smile like this, she took to it instantly. I recorded this video within a minute of giving it to her,” added James.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Dying Man Spends Last Days Fixing Bikes For Kids in Need

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McKinley Corbley
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When Bob Charland was given a terminal diagnosis, he didn’t spend any time feeling sorry for himself – instead, he decided to spend his last days giving kids the gift of free play.

The Springfield, Massachusetts resident was first diagnosed with a neurodegenerative brain disease two months ago. Since he received the news, Bob has hunkered down in his workshop and repaired bikes for children in his community.

When he isn’t repairing bikes that youngsters already own, he is fixing up old bicycles to give to kids who can’t afford one.

CHECK OUT: Hospital Grants Dying Patient’s Last Wish For Wine, Cigarette

On Easter morning alone, Bob gave away 20 different bikes to kids in Chicopee.

“Why not? If it’s just my time, why not do it?” Bob told WWLP. “It’s making these kids happy, it’s promoting something positive in their life, so I’m going to keep doing it.”

Bob has also created a GoFundMe page for starting a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for old bikes and startup materials.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share This Inspiring Story With Your Friends – Photo by WLLP

Apple to Invest $1B in American Manufacturing Jobs

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McKinley Corbley
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On Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the tech company will be starting a $1 billion fund for creating advanced manufacturing jobs on American soil.

Cook didn’t disclose many details, as the fund was only announced amidst an interview with CNBC’s “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer.

The California-based company already employs 80,000 American citizens – however, Cook confidently said the initiative will create “thousands more” positions. More elaboration on the fund’s creation and the campaign’s timeline will be released incrementally during the coming summer, starting with the company’s first investment announcement near the end of May.

RELATED: Apple Store Employee Comforts Boy With Autism Right On the Floor

Apple representatives have insisted that creating more advanced manufacturing jobs has been at the top of their to-do list for a while – and Cook says that he hopes the fund will “spur even more job creation”.

“By doing that, we can be the ripple in the pond. Because if we can create many manufacturing jobs around, those manufacturing jobs create more jobs around them because you have a service industry that builds up around them,” said Cook in the video below.

(WATCH the video below)


Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Jorge Quinteros, CC)

Student Creates First Synthetic Retina For the Visually Impaired

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A synthetic, soft tissue retina developed by a 24-year-old student could offer fresh hope to visually impaired people.

Until now, all artificial retinal research has used only rigid, hard materials. The new research, conducted by Vanessa Restrepo-Schild, a researcher at Oxford University, is the first to successfully use biological, synthetic tissues, developed in a laboratory environment.

The study could revolutionize the bionic implant industry and the development of new, less invasive technologies that more closely resemble human body tissues, helping to treat degenerative eye conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa.

RELATED: Breakthrough Treatment With Lab-Grown Corneas Cures Blindness in Sheep

Just as photography depends on camera pixels reacting to light, vision relies on the retina performing the same function. The retina sits at the back of the human eye, and contains protein cells that convert light into electrical signals that travel through the nervous system, triggering a response from the brain, ultimately building a picture of the scene being viewed.

Restrepo-Schild led the team in the development of a new synthetic, double layered retina which closely mimics the natural human retinal process. The retina replica consists of soft water droplets (hydrogels) and biological cell membrane proteins. Designed like a camera, the cells act as pixels, detecting and reacting to light to create a grey scale image.

The study shows that unlike existing artificial retinal implants, the cell-cultures are created from natural, biodegradable materials and do not contain foreign bodies or living entities. In this way the implant is less invasive than a mechanical devise, and is less likely to have an adverse reaction on the body. Restrepo-Schild added: “The human eye is incredibly sensitive, which is why foreign bodies like metal retinal implants can be so damaging, leading to inflammation and/or scaring. But a biological synthetic implant is soft and water based, so much more friendly to the eye environment.”

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“I have always been fascinated by the human body, and want to prove that current technology could be used to replicate the function of human tissues, without having to actually use living cells.” said the Colombian native.

Although at present the synthetic retina has only been tested in laboratory conditions, Restrepo-Schild is keen to build on her initial work and explore potential uses with living tissues. This next step is vital in demonstrating how the material performs as a bionic implant.

Restrepo-Schild has filed a patent for the technology and the next phase of the work will see the Oxford team expand the replica’s function to include recognizing different colors. Looking further ahead the research will expand to include animal testing and then a series of clinical trials in humans.

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Man Runs Retirement Home For Birds Who Outlive Their Owners

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McKinley Corbley
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It’s heartbreaking for a parent to outlive their child – and it’s no less sad for these birds who have carried on after their owners’ deaths. But luckily, they will always have a loving home with Ken Banks.

Ken, who lives near Rockhampton, Queensland, runs a retirement home for birds whose owners have passed away. His property plays host to over 1,400 birds – the oldest of which might already be in their 90s.

Depending on the bird species, these feathered creatures can live from anywhere between 12 to 100 years old.

CHECK OUT: Retirement Home For Unwanted Senior Pets Offers Love In Final Years

One of Ken’s tenants is a 91-year-old cockatoo named Popeye. The name is aptly given considering the bird lost his eye to cancer in his 70s – but he is reportedly still energetic, given his condition.

Ken currently spends his days caring for his tenants and making sure that they go to good homes with responsible owners who understand the consequences of adopting such a pet. The bird-lover also refuses to take money for the critters – he would rather just make sure that they’re being properly cared for.

“I’ve just got a soft heart for birds. I can’t see a bird being put down for no reason, when it’s reasonably healthy and I can give it a home,” Banks told ABC Capricornia.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Nigeria Values Safety of Gorillas Over New Superhighway

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McKinley Corbley
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Thanks to intensive pressure from conservation groups, Nigerian officials have agreed to reroute the construction of a superhighway to spare the habitat of the highly endangered Cross River gorilla.

The originally proposed route for the 160-mile highway included a 6-mile wide buffer on each side of the road, which would have destroyed thousands of acres of rainforest and wildlife habitat that is home to pangolins, chimpanzees, elephants, and gorillas.

After creating a petition that accumulated over 135,000 signatures, however, the Wildlife Conservation Society managed to convince state and federal Nigerian officials that the superhighway would dramatically affect the gorilla populations of the Cross River area.

CHECK OUT: India Saves Its Tigers Instead of Mining For $330M in Diamonds

The new proposed route has dropped the highway’s buffer and moved closer to the western coast.

“At a recent meeting in Calabar, with our Director of Cross River Landscape Inaoyom Imong present, the Cross River State government verbally agreed to reroute the superhighway away from the Ekuri community forest,” said a WCS representative. “Combined with dropping the 12-mile (20-kilometer) buffer, this reroute shows significant progress. It means our voices are being heard.”

If you would like to thank Nigerian officials for their decision to reroute the highway – and to make sure that they follow-up on their promise – click here to send them your message.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Wildlife Conservation Society)

Grandpa Delights Granddaughter With DIY Theme Park (WATCH)

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Some little girls and boys may spend ages waiting until they finally get to go to Disneyland or Six Flags – but not young Sophia.

That’s because she has her very own theme park courtesy of her grandfather Jimmy White.

Jimmy, of Decatur, Texas, knew that he wanted to do something special for his granddaughter-to-be when he found out that his daughter was pregnant with a little girl.

RELATED: IKEA Donates Doll Beds to Shelter Cats Waiting to be Adopted

So, Jimmy got to work with his tools and built the ultimate backyard amusement park. Featuring such rides as a rollercoaster, a spinning swing set, and a miniature ferris wheel, the attractions have become Sophia’s favorite past time.

Jimmy, on the other hand, is just happy to spend time with his darling granddaughter.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Used Car Advert Helps Unemployed Man Land His Dream Job #TBT

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McKinley Corbley
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Even the most accomplished car salesman might have some trouble selling a dingy 1985 Subaru model – but for this unemployed man, the old car became the stepping stone to his dream job.

When 28-year-old Nils Jangen and his girlfriend moved to Sundsvall in 2014, the Swedish man began the process of applying for a new job.

But after submitting over 200 cover letters to different businesses and only scoring one job interview, Jangen started to feel desperate.

CHECK OUT: Daughter Fulfills Dad’s Last Wish With Side-Splitting Obituary

As his savings account started to empty, however, Jangen finally turned to his last resort: selling his white 1985 Subaru Justy J10 Trendy.

Since the car was so old, Jangen knew he had give the elderly automobile some gusto.

“I included a bit of humor thinking it might help get my car sold. It wasn’t going to sell itself; it’s really an old beater,” Jangen told the Local.

The Swede then posted the car for $1,500 on Blocket; a Swedish community sales page. The picture of the car included Saruman from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, as well as 80s action star David Hasselhoff giving a thumbs-up. The car was then described as a “Japanese mountain goat” with the “power of 54 frighteningly well-hung horses”, and that it was “hand-forged in the darkest of Japanese industries” by “the Saruman of carmakers”.

RELATED: Candy Theft Victim Rewarded With Car Full of Kit Kats For Everyone

The advert continued to read: “The car has seat belts in all seats built with the 1984-patented I.D.N.R.I.S, which stands for Instant Death No Retardation Impact System. In other words, there is no risk of ending up in long-term care because you die immediately in any collision at speeds higher than 12 km/hour.”

If potential buyers couldn’t meet the asking price, Jangen said he would also trade it for a job because he was currently living “in a city where the prospects for the future are on par with those of North Korea”.

The day after he published the ad, a local newspaper did a write-up on the side-splitting salesmanship. The ad then spread on social media until later that week, Jangen became inundated with hundreds of job offers.

MORE: Guy Sacrifices Tesla to Save Unconscious Driver, Elon Musk Offers to Repair It

Among the offers was a position with automotive magazine Auto, Motor, & Sport.

“I’ve always dreamed of being an automotive journalist – probably watched too much Top Gear in my time, so I said yes right away,” said Jangan.

The Subaru was eventually sold to an auto-repair shop for advertisement purposes – and despite having no prior experience as a motorsports journalist, Jangan went from being poor and unemployed to a well-paid magazine writer.

How’s that for gusto?

Click To Share This Precious Story With Your Friends (Photo by Nils Jangan)

Crowd Hangs On to Suicidal Man For 2 Hours Until Help Arrives

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Good News Network
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Despite it taking two hours for proper help to arrive, these members of the public refused to let go of a suicidal man preparing to jump off of a bridge.

Last week during rush hour near Golders Green, North London, the man climbed over a bridge railing so he could leap to his death.

Passerby immediately rushed to grab him through the bars so he wouldn’t be able to jump.

CHECK OUT: Previously-Suicidal Man Runs Marathon With Guy Who Talked Him Down From Bridge

As police arrived to offer assistance, the man was also tied to the railing with rope.

Traffic on the North Circular road was stopped until – two hours later – a fire engine with a hydraulic lift was able to bring the man down to safety. He was then detained by an ambulance and taken to the hospital under the Mental Health Act.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Nigel Howard)

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